Tensioning  device for endless-belt



Feb. 9 1926.

. 1,571,972 G. A. SCHETTLER TENSIONING DEVICE FOR ENDLESS BELT MEMBERS Filed New- 20, 1923 2 sheets-sheet 1 //m5/v TOR Feb. 9 1926. 1,571,972

I G. A. SCHETTLER TENSIONING DEVICE FOR ENDLESS BELT MEMBERS Filed Nov. 20, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /Nl/EN TOR Patented Feb. 9, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAV ADOLF SCHETTLER, OF LEEDS, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE TURNER TAN- NING MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PEABQDY, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

TENSIONING' DEVICE FOR ENDLESS-BELT: MEMBERS.

Application filed November 20, 1923. Serial No. 675,946.

To all whom it may concern: Be. it known that I, GUSTAV ADoLF Sonrrrnnn, a citizen of Germany, residing at Leeds, England, have invented certain Improven'ients in Tensioning Devices for Endless-Belt Members, of which the follow-- ing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, isa specification, like reference characters onithe. drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to tensioning de vices for endless belt members and is shown as applied to a splitting machine of the type having a belt knife'as the cutting element.

Splitting machines of the type referred to .comprise characteristically an endless belt knife arranged to pass around two wheels or rollers spaced such, a distance apart as to tension the knife between them during thecontinuous running movement of the knife. In practice it is desirable to slacken the tension of the belt knife when the machine is stopped at the end of any given period of operations. Heretofore,

' this has been accomplished by manipulation of adjusting screws associated with one of the wheels or rollers, thereby allowing its bearing to slide back along the frame toward the other wheel or roller. In following this method a readjustment of the said wheel or roller is necessitated before the machine can be used again.

It is an object of the present invention to I provide, in machines which embody an end less belt member, means for facilitating the operations of slackening the tension of the endless belt and also of restoring the tension, without losing the normal working adjustment of the belt and of the means through which adjustment is secured.

To this end, as illustrated and in accordance with importantfeatures of the invention, an endless belt knife splitting machine is provided, in addition to means for securing the normal working adjustment of the belt knife, with means having a plurality of predetermined positions and movable-from one to another for causing a belt supporting member to vary the tension on the belt without disturbing the working adjustment thereof. By this arrangement after the belt knife has been adjusted. to give the proper working tension and thenslackened, upon a reverse operation of the belt slackening means the belt is instantly restored to its proper tension without any manipulation of the adjusting means.

As shown, one of a pair of wheels which support the belt knife is movable, through the operation of a controlling member, from and into a definite working position on a slide which is adjustable in a well-known manner for obtaining the working tension of the knife, thesaid movement by thec'ontrolling member, serving to slacken or to restore the working tension of the knife while the slide remains stationary. Conveniently, the bearing for this wheel is mounted in or on a rotatable eccentric member carried by the slide and operable by a hand lever, which may be fastened in a definite position to retain the belt knife under working tension.

Other features of the construction and novel combinations of parts will be described in the detailed specification and pointed out in the appended claims.

lnthe drawings,

Fig. 1' is a side elevation of one of the wheels 'of the machine having combined therewith improved means for adjusting in Fig; 1

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation, partly in section, of the bearing for the wheel and of the slide which carries the bearing;

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view taken along a plane indicated by the line 4% in Fig, l and Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4,, showing the parts in a different position. b

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a belt knife is indicated at 6, the main carrying wheel of same at 8, and the machine frame at 9, it being understood that the belt knife passes around a second wheel, similar to wheel 8, at the other end of the machine. For a more complete disclosure of the essential elements of a splitting machine of the belt knife type, reference should be had to United States Letters Patent No. 288,551, granted carries therein a central pivot 16 of the main wheel bearing 18 and has formed on its lower end an extension 20 to which is rt -idly attached a hand lever By means et the hand lever, the eccentric sleeve 1-l can be rotated within the slide it) as will be umlerstood by a comparison between Figures a and 5. The hand lever 22 is locked in a working position (Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4) in a pin ill: in the slide 10 the lower end ot said pin passing through a hole Qt (Fig. 5) in the hand lever. (the pin can be lifted to release the hand lever and when the lat ter is moved in the direction of the arrow trom the working position shown in Figure -t to that. shown in Figure 5 it turns the sleeve 'l-twhich} owing to its eccentricit moves the pivot it? of the bearing 18 from the centre 2R (Figure 4-.) to the centre it) (l igrure 5). Thus there is brought about a bodilv movement of the bearing; 18 and an annular movtnnent ot the wheel 8 in the dircction imlicatcd by the arrow in lt igures l. and which nmvement slaclens the tension on the belt knife 6. Moveme it of the hand lever 2'2 from the position shown in Figure 5 hacit to the working position (Figure -l-) immediately restores the working tension.

The proper working; tension of the belt hnit'e ti is obtained (niginallv by adjusting the slide ilt) by means of the screw 12 while the hand lever 22 occupies the working; position.

The screw 12 is carried in a threaded lug; 32 on the slide 10 and bears against the ad jacent end Sat oi? the machine i rame 9. After mljustnient the slide is fastened in position on the machine tran'ie b v nuts 36 on studs or bolts 38.

The arrangement: herein described gives the further advantage that the knife cannot be overtensioned to an extent which would cause it to break, tor the reason that when the endless knife is abnornnilly tensioned it is not possible to move the hand lever 22. it then becomes necessaiw to reduee the tension, by adjustment of the slide lt until a tree motion of the hand lever is possible and when this condition obtained it indicates that the knife has the correct tension tor working.

Having; thus described my intention, what T claim as new and desire to secure by Letters liatent of the United States it 1. In a mechanism of the character de scribed. an endless belt, a member t'orsupporting the belt. means "tor adjusting the member in a direction to tension the belt, and means having a plurality of predetermined positions and movable from one to another "for :ansing the member to vary the tension on the belt: without disturbing the adjusting means.

in a machine of the cha 'acter described, an endless belt, a roller around which the belt: passes, a member for supporting: the roller, means for adjusting said. member on the tr-nine ol the machine in a direction to apply tension to the belt, and mains movable from one to the other of two definite positions :lor causing the roller to move on its supporting member without losing the adj nstment secured by the adjusting means.

3.111 a machine of the character described, an endless belt, a roller around which the belt: passes, a member for supporting the roller a single scre\\-'-tln'eaded member tor adjustil'rej said supporting mean bra en the treme 'ot the n'iachine in a manner and in a direction to apply tension on the belt. and an oij eillatory cant member tor ndiustingr the roller to one ot a number of prcdcterminod positions on its supporting member. thereby to increase or to relax the tension on the belt.

t. In a mechanism of the class described, an emlless belt. a roller for supporting the belt, a member upon which the roller is mounted, said roller having a supporting bearing mounted in said member, and a 1'0- tatable eccentric member for moving the supporting bearing in directions to slackon or to tighten the belt.

5. In a mechanism oi the class described, an endless belt a roller for sup 'iorting the belt, a member upon which the roller is mounteth said roller having: a supporting bearing;- mounted in said member. til rotatable mzcentrie member for moving the supporting; hearing; in directions to slackcn or to tighten the belt and. a manually operable controller for rotating the eccentric to change the tension of the belt at the will of the ope 'ator.

(3. in a leather splitting machine, a beltltni't e, a roller tor supporting: the belt lmi'l e said roller having a supporting hearing co1nprising: a pivot pin, a member having' a socket to receive the pin, an eccentric in the Soehet and surrounding the pin and a manuallv operable controller 'tor rotating the cocentric to change the position of the pin and oi the roller with respect to its supporting member, whereby the tension of the belt lflll to may be readily adjusted.

7. In a leather splittingmachine. a belt knit'e, a wheel for supporting the belt knife, said wheel having; a supporting bearing comprising a pivot pin, a member having a socket to receive the pin, an eccentric in the socket and surrounding the pin a manually operable lever for rotating the eccentric to change the position of the pin and of the wheel with respect to its supporting men] bcr, whereby the tension oi the belt knife may be readily adjusteth and means for holding the lever in a position to maintain the tension on the belt knife.

8. In a leather splitting machine, a belt knife, a wheel for supporting the belt knife, said wheel having a supporting bearing comprising a pivot pin, a member having a socket to receive the pin, means for adjusting the member on the frame of the machine, an eccentric in the socket and surrounding the pin, and a manually operable lever for rotating the eccentric to change the positionof the pin and of the wheel with respect to its supporting member, whereby the tension of the belt knife may be readily adjusted. I

9. Ina cutting machine, a belt knife cutter, a Wheel for supporting the cutter, a member for supporting the wheel, means for adjusting the member to provide for definite unyielding tension of the belt knife cutter, and a controlling member having a plurality of predetermined positions and movable from one to another for causing the wheel to vary the tension of the cutter without affecting the adjustment of the supporting member by said means. 1

10. In a cutting machine, a belt knife cutter, a wheel around which the belt knife cutter passes, a single screw threaded member for accomplishing adjustment of the wheel to' tension the cutter to a definite extent, and a lever and eccentric having a working and an idle position and movable from one to the other for moving the wheel to increase or relax the tension on the cutter Without forfeiting the adjustment secured by the screwthreaded member.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

GUSTAV ADOLF SCI-IETTLER. 

